Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Roots Asylum’s first full-length release Ride On is an impressive mix of the serious and upbeat that spans a gamut of musical influences. It heralds a busy year of activity for the Michigan five-piece as they plan on returning to the studio in July of this year to record an EP of new material. Ride On, however, is a more than sufficient smorgasbord of musical delicacies certain to satisfy even the most ravenous musical appetite. I’m particularly impressed by their ability to balance serious themes alongside much more playful songwriting. The diversity that they bring to bear seems to assure them a presence in the indie music scene for years to come.
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The first three tracks are evidence of that diversified line of attack. “Talk About You” is a character portrait with a biting humor. Songwriters Jimmy McMillan and Susan Spade marry their lyrical observations to a rollicking guitar-driven arrangement perfect for this sort of personal appraisal. Jeremy Timmer’s electric guitar playing is one of the album’s consistent highlights and helps get Ride On off to a memorable start with his work during this song. One-two opening combinations rarely come as good as this track and its successor “90’s Grunge”.
I rarely laugh so hard listening to a song. Neither is it cheap humor. McMillan and company namecheck a wide assortment of song titles from the halcyon time of flannel shirts and alternative rock for this Americana-propelled reflection on what life must be like now for 90’s grunge bands. They do give the genre a bit of a dressing down, but there is a lot of affection here as well. One of harmony vocalist Katy Velten’s best performances comes with the title song. I am a big fan of how well she plays off Jimmy McMillan’s lead vocals and the soulful bray she brings to bear on “Ride On” meshes well with Jeremy Timmer’s six-string contributions.
“Shuckin’ in a Cornfield” is a manic blast of souped-up country rock from the band. However, it’s delivered with considerable panache and Jeremy Timmer’s clean picking does not suffer any loss of distinction despite the song’s largely breakneck pace. “Handle with Care” revisits the surprise early 90’s supergroup hit from The Traveling Wilburys with loving attention to detail and a surfeit of soul. The respect Roots Asylum has for this particular tune is obvious, and it’s easily one of my favorite entries on Ride On.
“Monday’s Washday” shifts gears in both mood and musical direction. It is a sleeker and more streamlined tune than many of the other almost raucous fare included on Ride On. Timmer’s guitar work once again provides a standout element. “Dreamy Eyed Girl” has some of the same sense of humor lurking behind several of the album’s tracks, and it’s fitting given the track’s bluesy pedigree. Their ability to convincingly inhabit several styles proves one of the band’s greatest strengths. This diversity helps Roots Asylum’s Ride On garner attention as one of 2024’s best under-the-radar releases thus far.
Garth Thomas